Atty. Gordon Uy, veteran angler and proprietor of the Fishing Buddy Tackleshop has always been quick to find alternative tackle to fill the needs of local anglers.
He asked me to check out a reel he brought in for the angler on a budget.
The Tica SA100/101 (right/left) baitcast reel.
It's a 200 size reel which means it loads about 150yards of 10lb. test. a good size for all around lure casting whether your game is freshwater haruanhunting or inshore salt. The description says it has 9 bearings and has an aluminum spool and frame. The spool is aluminum but I believe the frame is graphite or a polymer and not aluminum as stated. Outwardly, finish and tolerances are good. The reel is light and has a good feel, no rough nor sharp edges and has very similar lines to the popular Pinnacle brand whose manufacturer makes a lot of reels on brand swapping basis. Handle and drag knob were swept as what is in vogue, bringing your grip closer to the centerline of the reel which reduces torquing and rocking on a loaded retrieve. It's antibacklash system is magnetic with 10 variable settings, more to this later.
Inside, The reel is fairly standard for its price range.
The drilled out spool is a great way to reduce rotational mass which enables the angler to cast light lures. accessing the spool is easy with a small toggle near the front of the sideplate. I would have preferred a button on the sideplate for streamlining and as a rule, anything that sticks out gets a better chance of breaking.
For the test, I loaded the reel with 30lb. braid and mated it to my Daiwa Heartland rod. After spot oiling the worm gear and bearings, I headed to the park.
Nice and low for a comfy grip.
My regular setup came for the ride as a benchmark. I selected a set of lures ranging from unweighed plastics to crankbaits and heavy topwaters to test the casting and cranking efficiency of the Tica. Dragset was a low 1.2 kilos to give the reel time to settle in.
I set the antibacklash at 5 and on the first cast made a birdsnest that'd put a 70's afro to shame. I went up to 10 ( what I should've done in the first place) and the reel calmed down. I started with a heavy topwater to break in the reel. After about 30-40 casts the reel had smoothed out. casts were long and the lure floated which means the reel was giving line and not the lure pulling it out. I backed the setting down a notch to 9 and kept it there. It seems the system didn't give a lot of braking force but was adequate. I never use the friction knob and prefer to keep it at a setting that allows an extremely small amount of play on the spoolshaft.
I shifted to light lures. The reel's startup on casting was good even with very light lures. It was laying casts out accurately and consistently. This means bearings are good and the spool is true. The levelwind was efficient laying line properly with no bunching on either end. Cranking was smooth, the bearings made themselves well felt.
Ergonomics were well thought out. My thumb was were it should be, the palm was filled out for a firm but comfortable grip. Color...I really prefer black with absolutely no flashy parts that may spook fish but this is just me and others would love the deep Burgundy trimmed with chrome.
A nice toman gave me some good data on drag and cranking performance. i towed the fish in with the reel checking if the gears would jump or freeze, a sure sign of frame flex. No such problem! The fish got to within meters of the bank when it decided it didn't like dry land. Afterburners came on and the reel's drag responded smoothly. No chattering or hesitation. After a few runs the fish surrendered and the reel triumphed.
Proof of the fish's ferocity. The rear treble had 1 tine broken and another bent out.
After that cherry popper, the reel now a veteran, performed well. No apparent changes from the experience.
Overall:
The reel retails at Php:2,200. Cheapest brand new baitcaster with these features. Good for all around lure chucking. Adequate drag and antibacklash systems. Easy on the casting with light and heavy lures.
If you're a newbie with a small budget this would be a decent reel to start with. Match it to a Yoshikawa rod and at Php:3,000 you have a baitcast combo that will cast and land fish.
The Tica SA100/101 (right/left) baitcast reel.
It's a 200 size reel which means it loads about 150yards of 10lb. test. a good size for all around lure casting whether your game is freshwater haruanhunting or inshore salt. The description says it has 9 bearings and has an aluminum spool and frame. The spool is aluminum but I believe the frame is graphite or a polymer and not aluminum as stated. Outwardly, finish and tolerances are good. The reel is light and has a good feel, no rough nor sharp edges and has very similar lines to the popular Pinnacle brand whose manufacturer makes a lot of reels on brand swapping basis. Handle and drag knob were swept as what is in vogue, bringing your grip closer to the centerline of the reel which reduces torquing and rocking on a loaded retrieve. It's antibacklash system is magnetic with 10 variable settings, more to this later.
Inside, The reel is fairly standard for its price range.
The drilled out spool is a great way to reduce rotational mass which enables the angler to cast light lures. accessing the spool is easy with a small toggle near the front of the sideplate. I would have preferred a button on the sideplate for streamlining and as a rule, anything that sticks out gets a better chance of breaking.
For the test, I loaded the reel with 30lb. braid and mated it to my Daiwa Heartland rod. After spot oiling the worm gear and bearings, I headed to the park.
Nice and low for a comfy grip.
My regular setup came for the ride as a benchmark. I selected a set of lures ranging from unweighed plastics to crankbaits and heavy topwaters to test the casting and cranking efficiency of the Tica. Dragset was a low 1.2 kilos to give the reel time to settle in.
I set the antibacklash at 5 and on the first cast made a birdsnest that'd put a 70's afro to shame. I went up to 10 ( what I should've done in the first place) and the reel calmed down. I started with a heavy topwater to break in the reel. After about 30-40 casts the reel had smoothed out. casts were long and the lure floated which means the reel was giving line and not the lure pulling it out. I backed the setting down a notch to 9 and kept it there. It seems the system didn't give a lot of braking force but was adequate. I never use the friction knob and prefer to keep it at a setting that allows an extremely small amount of play on the spoolshaft.
I shifted to light lures. The reel's startup on casting was good even with very light lures. It was laying casts out accurately and consistently. This means bearings are good and the spool is true. The levelwind was efficient laying line properly with no bunching on either end. Cranking was smooth, the bearings made themselves well felt.
Ergonomics were well thought out. My thumb was were it should be, the palm was filled out for a firm but comfortable grip. Color...I really prefer black with absolutely no flashy parts that may spook fish but this is just me and others would love the deep Burgundy trimmed with chrome.
A nice toman gave me some good data on drag and cranking performance. i towed the fish in with the reel checking if the gears would jump or freeze, a sure sign of frame flex. No such problem! The fish got to within meters of the bank when it decided it didn't like dry land. Afterburners came on and the reel's drag responded smoothly. No chattering or hesitation. After a few runs the fish surrendered and the reel triumphed.
Proof of the fish's ferocity. The rear treble had 1 tine broken and another bent out.
After that cherry popper, the reel now a veteran, performed well. No apparent changes from the experience.
Overall:
The reel retails at Php:2,200. Cheapest brand new baitcaster with these features. Good for all around lure chucking. Adequate drag and antibacklash systems. Easy on the casting with light and heavy lures.
If you're a newbie with a small budget this would be a decent reel to start with. Match it to a Yoshikawa rod and at Php:3,000 you have a baitcast combo that will cast and land fish.
